Exhibit Hall

Now Open on Level 4

Meet the ancient rulers of our planet as you examine fossil replicas of dinosaurs and prehistoric sea creatures. Orlando Science Center showcases the dinosaurs in their disparate land and aquatic settings as guests become part of a paleontological excavation site.

Uncover 'fossils' in the dig pit and examine fossilized dino eggs

Explore displays that feature ancient land and marine reptiles

Compare reptiles and dinosaurs to see similarities and differences

Discover denizens of the ancient oceans such as Elasmosaurus and Tylosaurus

Fossils can connect children to the history of our planet. It allows them to simultaneously imagine how ancient life might have been, while examining current habitats and species that could become the fossils of the future. This fun activity from Kaboose.com let’s kid creative their very own fossils that can be ancient or modern!

What you'll need:

1 cup of used coffee grounds

1/2 cup of cold coffee

1 cup of flour

1/2 cup of salt

Wax paper

Mixing bowl

Some small objects to make impressions in the dough (Shaped cookie cutters work well.)

Empty can or a butter knife

Toothpicks, optional

String to hang your fossil, optional

How to make it:

Stir the together the coffee grounds, cold coffee, flour, and salt until well mixed.

Knead the dough together and then flatten it out onto the waxed paper.

Use the can to cut out circles of the dough or use the dull knife to cut slabs large enough to fit your "fossil" objects.

Press your objects firmly into the dough. When you take the object out, you have your "fossil". If you want to hang the fossil, poke holes into the edge to hold the string.

Let the fossil dry overnight (and up to two days) and then hang it if you wish.

Tips:

To reduce the drying time, bake the fosils for a short period of time.

If you find normal crocodiles to be a little frightening check out the jaws on this guy!

Pepesuchus deiseae is a newly discovered crocodyliform, a group that includes modern-day alligators, which lived during the late Cretaceous period, between 99 million to 65 million year ago. The fossil skull was found at a site called Sao Paulo in Brazil by paleontologists from the Brazilian National Museum. It can currently be found in the Federal University of Rio de Janerio’s National Museum with other fossils that were discovered In Brazil.

Throughout history people have been locating dinosaur fossils and incorrectly classifying them. The Greeks and Romans thought they belonged to ogre’s, the Chinese thought they were dragon bones, and the English thought they were from giants. Despite all the wrong predictions, there were three British fossil hunters in the early 1800’s who began to dig deep into the exploration of the unknown world of dinosaurs. Keep in mind, at this point in time there was no such thing as a dinosaur and the word dinosaur had not yet been invented. In 1824, William Buckland was the first individual to scientifically name a dinosaur, calling it a Megalosaurus. Gideon A. Mantell discovered other early dinosaur fossils including the Iguanondon (duck-billed plant eater) and the Hylaeosaurus (armed plant-eater). A few years later a man named Benjamin Waterhouse Watkins made the first life-size dinosaur model out of concrete as an amusement at a house party for scientist.

“Dinosauria” was the first name given to dinosaurs and they were believed to be a suborder of large, extinct reptiles. Sir Richard Owens, a British pioneer, coined the term dinosauria in 1841, from the Greek word “deinos” meaning fearfully great and “sauors” meaning lizard. He also noticed some similar characteristics between the Megalosaurus, Iguanadon, and Hylaeosaurus such as their upright legs and their unique vertebrae structure. Owens introduced “dinosauria” as a new taxonomic group among other reptiles and since then over 330 species of dinosaurs have been discovered. Every few months paleontologist find new dinosaurs and help increase our knowledge about the creatures that roamed the earth during prehistoric times.

To get your dose of dinos, don't miss Fossil fest, taking place Saturday, March 20 from 11am - 4pm!

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